AMPLIFY-PSY, A Synergy for the Psychological Care of Women

By François M’BRA II

Ivory Coast-In the Gbêkê region, in central Côte d’Ivoire, the mental health of women of childbearing age is receiving renewed attention thanks to the AMPLIFY-PSY project. This innovative project is based on an exemplary synergy between local populations, NGOs, local authorities, health structures, and committed financial partners such as the Spanish Recover and Atlantic Group Foundations. This cooperation is key to addressing the complex challenges related to mental disorders, which are often stigmatized and neglected.

Mental health, long relegated to the background in public policies, is now recognized as a fundamental pillar of human and social development. In the Gbêkê region, where women of childbearing age are particularly vulnerable to mental disorders, the AMPLIFY-PSY project, led by the NGO Mindful Change Foundation Côte d’Ivoire (MCF-CI), embodies new hope. But behind this initiative lies an essential dynamic: the synergy between various local and financial actors. This cooperation between populations, NGOs, local authorities, health structures, and financial partners is not only a lever for effectiveness but also a guarantee of sustainability for the actions undertaken.

A collective mobilization: the strength of partnerships

The launch of the AMPLIFY-PSY project was marked by strong mobilization of local and financial actors. The joint presence of representatives from the Bouaké city hall, the prefecture, the Ministry of Health, partner NGOs, as well as the Spanish Recover and Atlantic Group Foundations, demonstrates a common will to respond to the urgent needs of the population. This strategic alliance allows pooling of resources, expertise, and networks, thereby strengthening intervention capacity.

Professor Koua Asseman Médard, Coordinator of the National Mental Health Program (PNSM), emphasizes:
“The collaboration between the different stakeholders is essential to ensure a lasting impact. Thanks to the support of financial partners like the Recover and Atlantic Group Foundations, we can deploy concrete actions that change the lives of vulnerable women.”

For example, the Ministry of Health, through the National Mental Health Program management, provides technical expertise and an indispensable regulatory framework. The Bouaké city hall plays a key role in awareness and community mobilization, facilitating social acceptance of initiatives. NGOs, notably MCF-CI, ensure operational implementation, training of health personnel, and psychological support. The Recover and Atlantic Group Foundations, as financial partners, provide crucial support that guarantees the availability of necessary resources for training, free medical care, and psychological support sessions.

This complementarity creates a dynamic ecosystem where each actor plays a precise role for maximum impact.

The involvement of local populations: an indispensable lever

At the heart of this synergy, local populations are not mere beneficiaries but active partners. The AMPLIFY-PSY project includes psychological support sessions open to the community, promoting dialogue and deconstructing taboos related to mental disorders. This participatory approach helps build trust and encourages women to seek support.

Joëlle Trazouo, head of operations at MCF-CI, explains: “The involvement of women themselves and their families is necessary to break down stigma barriers. Psychological support sessions create a safe space where they can freely express themselves and find real support.”

Moreover, collaboration with local associations, especially those grouping people living with mental illnesses, allows anchoring actions in the reality on the ground. These associations play an essential relay role, facilitating case identification, awareness, and follow-up.

Thus, the synergy is not limited to institutions but extends to civil society to ensure a response adapted to the cultural and social specificities of the region.

The central role of health structures

Health structures in Brobo, Bounda, Saminikro, and other localities in the northeast district of Gbêkê are at the core of the project’s implementation. Thanks to specific training of midwives in maternal mental health, these centers become anchors for early detection and management of mental disorders.

Collaboration among health professionals ensures consistent quality of care. Furthermore, the establishment of data collection tools allows rigorous monitoring of interventions and a better understanding of needs. Integrating mental health care into existing structures facilitates access to services, reduces stigma, and creates a continuum of care essential for vulnerable women.

Sustaining actions through cooperation

The success of a project like AMPLIFY-PSY is measured not only by its immediate results but also by its ability to last over time. The synergy between local and financial actors is a determining factor for this sustainability.

Jean François Vanié, Secretary General of the Bouaké prefecture, stated at the project launch workshop:
“The sustainability of actions depends on our ability to work together, share responsibilities, and mobilize resources. The support of financial partners like Recover and Atlantic Group is a major asset to guarantee the continuity of interventions.”

By working together, partners can share responsibilities, mobilize complementary resources, and adapt interventions to evolving contexts. Moreover, the involvement of local authorities guarantees institutional and political support, essential to durably integrate mental health into regional priorities.

Continuous training of field actors and constant community awareness also strengthen this dynamic, ensuring that the project’s benefits extend beyond its initial duration.

The AMPLIFY-PSY project perfectly illustrates how the synergy of actors—populations, NGOs, local authorities, health structures, and financial partners—can transform the mental health care of women in the Gbêkê region. This exemplary cooperation creates a favorable framework for innovation, effectiveness, and sustainability of actions, while helping to break taboos and improve community well-being. Beyond the project, it is a model of collaboration that stands as an adapted response to the complex challenges of mental health in Côte d’Ivoire.